Potato-harvester.



No. 733,589. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903.

0. KIRKHAM. POTATO HARVBSTBR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1'7, 1903. H0 MODEL.

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NITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

ORLANDO KIRKHAM, OF DIAGONAL, IOWA.

POTATO-HARVESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,589, dated July 14,1903.

Application filed April 17, 1903.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORLANDO KIRKHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at Diagonal, in the county of Ringgold and State of Iowa, haveinvented a new and useful Potato- Harvester, of which the following is aspeciiication.

My object is to provide a simple, strong, and durable potato -harvesterupon which the driver can ride and raise and lower the plow, asrequired, to govern its depth in the ground, to carry it inoperative,and to adjust a separator hinged to the rear end of the plow, asrequired, to facilitate taking potatoes from the ground and spreadingthem on top of the loose ground as the carriage is advanced astride arow.

A further object is to deflect vines and the top portion of the groundthat is lifted by the plow to one side of the line of advance, while atthe same time the lower part of the ground and potatoes therein arecarried rearward and spread apart, as required, to separate the potatoesfrom the ground.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof operative parts with a carriage axle and pole, 'as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine (thatshows only one of the carriage-wheels) and the plow in the ground asrequired in practical use. Dotted lines indicate how the plow'may beelevated and carried inoperative. Fig. 2 is a central sectional view inwhich dotted lines show the separator elevated, as required, to serve asan inclined plane upon which potatoes can be elevated at the same timethe ground falls through the open spaces of the separator to drop on topof the loose ground. Fig. 3 is a bottom view that shows the forms andpositions of the different parts relative to each other.

The numeral 10 designates a carriage-axle upon traction-wheels 12, and13 is apole pivotally connected with the center of the axle andsupported at its rear end by a semicircular brace ll, fixed thereto andto the axle, as shown, or in any suitable way. A double- Serial No.153.077. (No ma i.)

tree 15 and swingletrees 16 for hitching horses thereto are attached tothe pole in a corn mon way.

The plow 17 is pivotally connected with the end portions of the axle 10by means of curved sides 18, that are fixed to uprights 19, formed onorfixed to the rear-end corners of the plow.

A toothed sector 20 is pivoted to the axle 10 and fixed to the pole 13,and an elbowshaped lever 21 is fixed to the upright 19, as shown in Fig.1, and carries a pawl adapted to engage the teeth of the sector 20 insuch a manner that the plow can be raised and lowered by the operationof the lever by a person on the seat 22, mounted on the rear end of thepole 13.

-A separator, consisting of a plurality of bars 23, hinged to the rearend of the plow 17, by means of a rod 24, fixed in the sides 18 andconnected at their rear ends, as shown in Fig. 3, is connected by meansof a link 26 with an elbow-shaped lever 25, that is pivot-,

ed to theaxle 10 in such a manner that the rear end of the separator canbe raised and lowered as required to change its inclination relative tothe ground for lifting and separating potatoes from the ground. Toretain the separator at any degree of angle relative to the ground, atoothed sector 27 is connected to the axle 10 and to a plate 28, fixedto the sides 18 in rear of the separator, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. V

A deflector 29 is fixed to the pole 13 to extend obliquely relative tothe line of advance and downward toward the plow in such a manner thatweeds, vines, and other obstructions on top of the ground will be pushedto one side of the plow to prevent them passing rearward and upon theseparator, as required, .to prevent clogging and to facilitateseparating potatoes from the ground that passes from the plow to theseparator.

Having thus described the purpose of my invention and its constructionand operation, the practical utility thereof will be obvious to farmersand others familiar with the art to which it pertains, and

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a potato-harvester, a carriage-axle, traction-wheels on the endsof the axle, a pole pivoted to the center of the axle, a brace fixed tothe rear end of the pole and pivoted to the end portions of the axle,curved sides pivoted to the end portions of the axle and extendedforward for carrying a plow and a plow fixed to the front ends of saidsides, and means for raising and lowering the plow, arranged andcombined to operate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

2. In a potato-harvester, a carriage-axle, traction-wheels 011 the endsof the axle, a pole pivoted to the center of the axle, a brace fixed tothe rear end of the pole and pivoted to the end portions of the axle,curved sides pivoted to the end portions of the axle and extendedforward for carrying a plow and a plow fixed to the front ends of saidsides, a toothed sector pivoted to the axle, an elbowshaped leverfulerunied to the axle and connected with the plow and provided with apawl to engage the toothed sector, arranged and combined to operate inthe manner set forth for the purposes stated.

3. In a potato-harvester, a carriage-axle, traction-wheels on the endsof the axle, a pole pivoted to the center of the axle, a brace fixed tothe rear end of the pole and pivoted to the end portions of the axle,curved sides pivoted to the end portions of the axle and extendedforward for carrying a plow and a plow fixed to the front ends of saidsides, a separator hinged to the rear end of the plow, a toothed sectorpivoted to the axle, an elbow-shaped lever fulcrunied to the axle andprovided with a pawl to engage said sector and a link connecting thefront end of the lever with the rear end of the hinged separator,arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth for thepurposes stated.

4. In a potato-harvester, a carriage-axle, traction-wheels on the endsof the axle, a pole pivoted to the center of the axle, a brace fixed tothe rear end of the pole and pivoted to the end portions of the axle,curved sides pivoted to the end portions of the axle and extendedforward for carrying a plow, a plow fixed to the front ends of saidsides and means for raising and lowering the plow and a deflector fixedto the pole to be carried above the plow, arranged and combined tooperate in the manner set forth for the purposes stated.

5. A potato-harvester comprising a car riage-axle mounted upon wheels, apole pivoted to the center of the axle, a seat on the rear end of thepole, a brace pivoted to the end portions of the axle and fitted to therear end of the pole, side bars pivoted to the end portions of the axleto extend forward, a crosspiece fixed to the side bars, a plow fixed tothe front ends of the side bars, a toothed sector pivoted to the axle,an elbow-shaped lever fulcrumed to said sector and provided with a pawlto engage said sector, a separator hinged to the rear end of the plow, atoothed sector pivoted to the axle, an elbow-shaped lever fulcrumed tothe axle, and its front end connected with the rear end of the hingedseparator and a deflector fixed to the pole to be carried above theplow, all arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth forthe purposes stated.

